Monday, January 29, 2018

On a separate Shakespearean topic...

Dear Students,

Having to explain the difference between chauvinism and misogyny in class today got me thinking about a common Shakespeare misquote:

"Frailty, thy name is Woman."

which is often misquoted as 

"Woman, thy name is Frailty"

Can you see the difference? The former (the correct quote) is Hamlet's impassioned lament over the ever-changing nature of women (his father had died and his mother married his uncle!) whereas the latter (common misquoted) is pretty much chauvinistic, with a hint of misogyny. 

So, quote your Shakespeare accurately!


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